Koi deaths still mystery at mall
By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
Whatever killed about a dozen colorful koi at Ala Moana Center remains a mystery, but after a monthlong absence the surviving fish will soon be returned to the center's mall-level ponds.
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Some have speculated that the yellow, white, orange and red carp were poisoned, but Dwight Yoshimura, the center's general manager, said the real cause of the sudden demise of so many fish will not be determined until a necropsy is completed.
Ponds of koi — Japanese carp — are a distinctive feature of Ala Moana Center. Some sick fish in a main pond died; others survived after they were relocated.
"We are not sure if somebody has poisoned them or not," Yoshimura said. "We are running some tests to find out."
Millions visit Ala Moana Center annually, and the koi ponds are among the most distinctive features of the open-air shopping center.
In late May, several of the fish in a blue tile pond that runs down the center of the mall-level shopping corridor started getting sick and turned belly-up, said Devin Taylor, who works at the Pearl Factory kiosk next to the ponds. Surviving fish were quickly pulled from the water and moved to the street-level pond outside Assaggio Ristorante Italiano.
"When I take a break, I like to sit there and watch them," Taylor said. "They are so big and colorful. The first thing kids do now is run up to the pond and look inside and ask: 'Mom, where are all the fish?' "
The Japanese koi is an ornamental pond fish first bred in the early 1800s. Through years of careful breeding, the fish have developed distinctive markings that flash like colorful jewels as the fish swim. Today, koi are raised by enthusiasts around the world for backyard ponds and public water gardens and for breeder competitions.
Fully grown koi range in size from 10 inches to 36 inches, and can weigh up to 20 pounds. Koi are sold in three quality categories — pond, ornamental and show — and can cost thousands of dollars each.
Yoshimura said their value is based on the size and the color pattern, but the deaths are more of an emotional loss for the center.
"We want to continue the koi ponds because this place itself was a pond at one time," he said. "The fishponds are part of the legacy we try to perpetuate by having fish and Hawaiian plants."
Reach James Gonser at 535-2431 or jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com.
